Many of you have noticed that I recently changed the image of Negra on the homepage of our website. The photo that was up there I had titled “Negra perfect” because I thought that she looked absolutely beautiful in that photo. I still think that she looks beautiful, but, seeing her now that she has more color in her face and her skin has firmed up and her eyes are filled with curiosity and alertness, I can see she is pretty far from perfect in that image. I’m not sure why this surprises me… she was the subject of biomedical research for decades and had been living in a windowless basement with no sun, fresh air, or mental stimulation. Three months later she looks almost like a different chimpanzee. See for yourself below.
